Moratorium on
euthanasia

The
moratorium on euthanasia of restricted breed dogs ended on 30 September 2017.
Restricted breed dogs may now be registered with councils in Victoria as long
as owners comply with the strict controls in place.

Restricted breed
dogs have not attacked a person or animal or displayed signs of aggression, but
they are considered a higher risk to community safety than other breeds of dogs.

Restricted
breed dog ownership requirements

Where dogs
are deemed by the council to meet the standard, they will be declared as a
restricted breed. Owners have the right to appeal the
council's decision through the Victorian
Civil and Administrative Tribunal (VCAT).

Owners of
restricted breed dogs must comply with a range of requirements, relating to
housing, microchipping, desexing, and identifying their dogs. Restricted breed
dogs must also be muzzled and leashed when being exercised off the property.
Click here for full details of ownership requirements
for Restricted Breed Dogs.

How do I report
a suspected unregistered restricted breed dog, or a registered restricted breed
dog not being kept according to prescribed requirements?

To report a restricted breed or dangerous
dog, or a dog attack on a person or animal/pet call your local council.
Alternatively you can call the Dangerous Dogs Hotline on 136 186. This number
will connect you to the department's Customer Service Centre. When prompted,
select option 1 – to report an animal offence including a dangerous dog.

What is the
Dangerous Dogs Hotline?

The Dangerous Dogs Hotline gives the
community an additional way of reporting dangerous dogs, or
restricted breed dogs that may not be appropriately identified or housed.

The hotline operates 8am to 6pm
Monday to Friday and helps ensure local councils are alerted to reports of
dangerous dogs.

All reports are recorded and information is
forwarded to the relevant local council.

It is the Victorian Government's expectation
that all dangerous dog reports received by local councils will be promptly
investigated. Caller information will be provided to councils where consent to
do so is obtained by the hotline operators. If a caller's details are provided,
it is expected local councils will follow up with the resident to inform them
of the outcome.

What to do if
you think you have been sold a restricted breed dog

Contact the
council and advise them of your concern. It is an offence for a person to sell,
give or otherwise transfer the ownership of a restricted breed dog to you
unless you are an immediate relative and ownership has been transferred as part
of a deceased estate. The only other exception is if the owner surrenders the
dog to a council pound or shelter for euthanasia.

You also have
rights under consumer affairs legislation if the breed of the dog has been
misrepresented. Contact the Consumer Affairs Victoria Helpline on 1300 55 81
81.

What to do if
your dog has been declared restricted breed

The authorised
officer must notify you in writing that your dog has been declared a restricted
breed. At this point, you have the right to request from council the reason why
your dog has been declared a restricted breed.

You can appeal
the declaration that your dog a restricted breed dog by appealing this decision
at VCAT within 14 days of
receiving the declaration.

Veterinarian/veterinary
nurses and restricted breed dogs

There is no
obligation to report to council any dog that you believe to be of a restricted
breed. It would be advisable to inform the owner that their dog may be
considered to be of a restricted breed and that if they are concerned they
should contact their local council for more information.

What happens if
a restricted breed dog is involved in a serious or fatal attack?

Owners are
subject to criminal offences if their dog kills or endangers the life of
someone. Owners can be jailed for up to 10 years if their dog kills someone, or
for up to 5 years if their dog endangers someone's life. Where the owner of a
dog is under the age of 18 years, the parent or guardian of that owner will be
deemed the legal owner of the dog and subject to any penalties.

Following changes to the Victorian Government structure, the content on this site is in transition. There may be references to previous departments, these are being updated. Please call 136 186 to clarify any specific information.